As the townsfolk sleep, something creeps
into the neighborhood. Hidden in shadows, its presence is as old as time
itself, its intent not born of goodness.

Nick, a teenager who fancies himself a
detective, wakes to find his carved masterpiece missing. Now a mystery is
afoot, and Nick has his first assignment, to find out who or what is snatching
up the town’s pumpkins and why.

Unfortunately, as with all great
detectives, obstacles stand in Nick’s way—the neighborhood bully and his
cronies, and the strange old lady and her dog who share the run-down house at
the end of Nick’s block. As Nick investigates, an urban legend unravels . . . .

The Legend of The Pumpkin Thief.

Nick fears the legend as he embarks on the
most dangerous adventure of his young life. Collecting clues, getting ever closer
to the true nature of evil, he learns that curiosity comes with a high price.

Charles Day is the Horror Writer
Association’s Mentor Program Chairperson, Co­-Chair for the NY/LI Chapter, and
a member of the HWA Library committee. He is also a member of the New England
Horror Writers Association, the American Library Association, and the Young
Adult Library Services Association.

He is also the Bram Stoker Award® nominated
author of the YA novel, THE LEGEND OF THE PUMPKIN THIEF. He’s also published
his first adult novel DEEP WITHIN and the first book in his Adventures of Kyle
McGerrt trilogy, a YA western heroic fantasy, THE HUNT FOR THE GHOULISH
BARTENDER, and his first co­authored novel with Mark Taylor, REDEMPTION

His forthcoming publications and projects
in development for 2014 include a comic book series

based on the ADVENTURES OF KYLE McGERRT
trilogy, his first middle­ grade series, THE

UNDERDWELLERS, and his third YA novel,
IMMORTAL FAMILY.

On the publishing business side of things,
Charles is the owner of Day Media and Publishing in New York, which houses the
successful imprints, Evil Jester Press, Evil Jester Comics, and Hidden Thoughts
Press (mental wellness collections,)

He’s also an artist and illustrator, who is
passionate about creating the many characters he’s brought to life in his
published, or soon to be published works. You can find out more about his
upcoming writing projects, check out his illustrations and art, or find out
what he’s cooking up next with that evil dude­in­the­box, the evil Jester, by
visiting his Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/charles.day.92

Admitting what you are will end everything
you know. Embracing who you are will start a war...

Life is great when you’re good-looking and
popular…so long as no one knows you’re a vulatto. Being half-alien gets you
labeled “loser” quicker than being a full vader. So it’s a good thing Devon,
Lyle, and Lawrence can easily pass for human—until the night of the party.
Nothing kills a good time faster than three brothers sharing a psychic vision
of a fourth brother who’s off-world and going to die unless they do something.
But when your brother’s emergency happens off-planet, calling 9-1-1 really
isn’t an option.

In their attempt to save a brother they
barely remember, Devon, Lyle and Lawrence expose themselves to mortal danger
and inherit a destiny that killed the last four guys cursed with it. In 2022,
there are humans and aliens, heroes and monsters, choices and prophecies—and
four brothers with the power to choose what’s left when the gods decide they’re
through playing games.

E. Ardell spent her childhood in Houston,
Texas, obsessed with anything science fiction, fantastic, paranormal or just
plain weird. She loves to write stories that feature young people with
extraordinary talents thrown into strange and dangerous situations. She took
her obsession to the next level, earning a Master of Fine Arts from the
University of Southern Maine where she specialized in young adult genre
fiction. She’s a big kid at heart and loves her job as a teen librarian at
Monterey Public Library in Monterey, California, where she voluntarily shuts
herself in rooms with hungry hordes of teenagers and runs crazy after-school
programs for them. When she’s not working, she’s reading, writing, running
writers critique groups, trying to keep up with a blog, and even writing fan
fiction as her guilty pleasure.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead.Layla Petrovich has spent her whole life running away from her hometown of Hamletville. Raised by the town’s medium, and dubbed the “weird” girl for her fascination with swords, the last thing Layla wants is to go home.

But when she receives a desperate call to return just as a mysterious outbreak sweeps the country, Layla’s instincts urge her to go. Good thing, because the dead are rising.Layla, however, isn’t entirely on her own. With her psychic powers growing, surely everything will turn out okay, right?

Not so fast. Just when Layla believes she might survive the apocalypse, a sinister and ancient force rises from the shadows to finish mankind for good.Because the truth is, we were never alone in this world.

“If you ever need to slice someone’s head off, this is the blade you want,” I said as I lifted a curved sword off the table in front of me. “We’ve been practicing épée and foil so far, but tonight I want to introduce you to the sabre.” The practice sabre’s curved blade reflected the orange streetlight shining in through the window. A grant from the Smithsonian where I worked allowed me to teach my two passions: ancient weapons and their arts. “The sabre is a slashing weapon,” I continued and then lunged, showing the wide-eyed and excited students a few moves. “And in general, it’s my favorite,” I admitted with a grin.

The students laughed.“Is that why you have it tattooed on your arm?” Tyler, one of my best fencers, asked.My hand went unconsciously toward the tattoo. The ink was a sword interlaced with other once-meaningful symbols. “That’s not just any sabre,” I said, mildly embarrassed. “Here, let me show you. I brought something special tonight.” Setting the training sabre down, I lifted a rolled bundle. I laid it down on the table and unrolled it to reveal weapons in various elaborate scabbards.“Some are épée, foils—you can tell by the hilt—a broadsword, a claymore, a katana, a scimitar, throwing daggers,” I said, pointing, “but this, this is a Russian shashka.” I pulled the shashka from the bundle. “It’s like a traditional sabre, but has no guard. She’s light, single-edged, wielded with one hand, and good for stabbing or slashing. Not awkward in close quarters like a Scottish claymore, but it will kill you just as dead,” I said with a smile. I unsheathed the weapon and gave it an under-and over-hand spin around my head, shoulders, and back.The students grinned from ear to ear.I put it back in its scabbard and handed the shashka to them. “Pass it around, but keep in mind it is sharp enough to cut a blade of hair in half.” I then turned my attention to Tyler. “Now, since you’re so interested, let’s see how you do with the sabre.” I tossed one of the training swords to him.Tyler, already in his gear, jumped up and lowered his fencing mask. “But you’re not in gear,” he said.I shrugged. “Hit me, if you can.”We stood at the ready, made the ceremonial bow, and began. Tyler was not overly aggressive, which is partially why he was so successful. He waited for me, moving slowly. He was smart, quick, and often tried to over-tire his opponent.I waited, dropped my sword a bit, and let him make the lunge. He took the bait.The swords clanged together, and we clashed back and forth across the strip. He lunged and slashed while I dodged and blocked. He was fast. I was faster. When he lunged again, I ducked. With an upward movement, I went in.“A hit,” Kasey called.They clapped.“Man, that’s what you get for taking on a former state champ—and the teacher,” Trey told Tyler with a laugh.Tyler pulled off the mask and smiled at me.Just then, my cell rang. I would usually ignore it, but something told me to answer.“Everyone pair up and start working with the training sabers,” I said and pointed to the sword rack. I went to my bag and grabbed my cell.Before I could say hello, she spoke.“Layla, Grandma needs you to come home,” my grandmother’s voice, thick with Russian accent, came across through static. I was silent for a moment. My grandmother lived 500 miles away, and she never used her telephone. With the exception of her T.V., she hated technology. She’d cried and begged me to take away the microwave I’d purchased for her one Mother’s Day.“Grandma? What’s wrong?”“Come home now. Be here tomorrow,” she said. She hung up.I lowered my cell and stared at it. Confused and worried, I dialed her back. The phone rang, but she did not answer. I had obligations: practice, bills to pay, groceries to buy, tons of work to do, and a date for god-sakes. But my grandmother was the only one I had left in the world.“Sorry, guys. Emergency,” I called to my students.Disappointed, they groaned.“Sorry. Let’s pack it up for the night.” My hands shaking, I slid the shashka back into the bundle and rolled up the weapons. What had happened? Maybe Grandma was sick. Maybe she had some problem. Or maybe she had seen something.

Author Bio:Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, and The Celtic Blood Series. A steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

Lucci Grimley is indeed alluring—crowned with a mane of long blond hair, and blessed with an enchanting musical talent that draws a brave rescuer to a high tower hidden in the forest.
However, this modern-day Rapunzel is a young man, sold as a child to the wealthy and childless Damien Gotham for the price of a fast car and a pile of cash. And Lucci’s heroic prince is William “Prin” Prinzing, a handsome college student and star soccer player, hired to care for the grounds of the lavish Tower Estate. Prin climbs an extension ladder rather than a long golden braid to gain access to Lucci’s second floor bedroom window, ultimately penetrating the secrecy surrounding the cloistered young man.
Friendship, and soon romance, blooms. The tower captive eagerly gives his loving innocence to his brave rescuer, which sends the strict and reclusive Gotham into a frenzy of jealous rage. With Prin, Lucci gets a taste of real life, and he wants more. Together, the young men must face Gotham’s ruthlessness and pay the price of liberating Lucci.

He is awaiting me in the entryway, somehow appearing to be comfortable in the antique ladder-back chair. This is indeed a horrid surprise.
“You were outside, Lucas.” Father must certainly have spies hidden throughout the property, watching me constantly and revealing my every movement. “You left the house without my permission.”
“You were asleep, Father. I did not wish to disturb you to ask for permission to explore the maze.” I push all of my breath into my voice in an effort to sound like my heart is light and free of guilt. From the way he scowls, I believe my effort has failed.
“There is no room for excuses, son. You broke a rule by leaving the building without my consent. There will be a consequence.” He smiles as if in an attempt to comfort me, and I can see long straight teeth hidden in his bushy beard. “We will take care of your punishment tonight. After we dine.”
I don’t try to fight the shiver of dread. I allow it to swallow my body and raise tiny bumps on my skin. “Of course, Father.”
The man stands. Every time he rises to his full height I am newly impressed by how large he is. And how small I feel. But I do not meet his eyes, as I do not want to break another rule. “Very well, Lucas. I must attend to some imperative business in the conference room. I suggest you proceed to your suite and busy yourself with music. It is far more constructive than playing like a child in the outdoors.”
“Shall I practice my flute, sir?”
“No. I would prefer that you spend the afternoon vocalizing. I will come upstairs to listen to your progress on ‘February Song’ in due time.” He clears his throat in a manner I find repulsive, but I do not flinch as I once did. “I will not knock before entering.”
I know precisely what his words suggest: when Father bursts into my room, it will be in my best interest if I am singing. Not daydreaming. Or doodling. Or longing for days gone by. I must be actively singing. “Yes, sir. May I be excused?”
“There is one more small issue, Lucas. I do not care to see your feet bare, especially not soiled like a child stricken with rural poverty, until I remove your shoes myself as I prepare you for bed.”
He then nods and gestures with his hand—I have been dismissed.

Author Bio:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

All I knew was pain – a childhood filled with cruelty and villains who used and abused.

Until Éolie.

I first heard her sweet, angelical voice in the dark of night, when I lay bathed in my own impending death. Seventeen years later, it’s not the nightmare she pulled me out of that haunts me, but the glimpse of Happily Ever After she revealed just before disappearing.

They said she was a figment of my boundless imagination. A wish. A dream. Until I had no choice but to believe them, cherishing my imaginary savior the only way I knew how – in fiction and lore.

But fantasy has a way of transforming reality. When I finally tire of being a citizen of the world, I take an impromptu sabbatical as a professor at a small college on the coast of Maine. And there I see her, the girl with the sea-green eyes and angelic voice.

My world turns upside down. Turns out my girl is for real, and the pull between us is anything but imaginary.

The overall theme of the Incandescent Series is romantic with a touch of magic and whimsy.

Bonjour !

As you know by now (spoiler alert if you haven’t read my full bio : http://www.sylvieparizeau.com/about-sylvie/), I am epilogue obsessive compulsive.

And as Éolie once said to Liam in one of their deleted scenes:

_“Liam, it’s a compulsion. I swear; I start to read fully intending not to skip ahead, but I can’t help it. I need to know how it ends before I can enjoy how the characters get there. I cannot bear anything less than a happy ending. Everyone deserves a happily ever after.”_

Guilty as charged. I am one of those who read the end … right after Chapter One. So by now, you’re either, gasping, cringing, totally scandalized, or smiling in complete accord, depending on which side of that story you stand, non?

But in any case, this obsession of mine is what started my story-telling journey. I can’t tell you how many times I concocted additional scenes in my head every time I got lost in a romance book. What do you mean The End? Noooo. It’s the beginning! Give me the happy!!

And as such, Liam and Éolie’s story, INCANDESCENTLY, book One in the Incandescent Series, holds a very special place in my heart, and I hope it will in yours too come October 22, 2016.

Meanwhile, in heartfelt appreciation for being such an awesome and all-around wonderful blogger, your tribe is among the first ones to enter a chance for a signed paperback copy as well as a signed copy of the map. A journey into the incandescent world of the Forest of Laure where all of my characters find their Happily Ever After, love, cherish, and grow, one story at a time.

So? In the mood to read something romantic with a touch of magic and whimsy? Go ahead. Let yourself loose.

A paralegal by day and incurable romantic by night, Sylvie is a cross-genre, and she takes Happily Ever After very seriously. The End just isn’t in her vocabulary.

An incorrigible daydreamer, she now feeds her obsession with epilogues by concocting stories in which heroes deal with the happy from the get-go. Ready, or not. And she confesses under oath to loving every minute of it.

Sylvie lives her own Happily Ever After in the beautiful mountains of Les Laurentides in Northern Quebec, alongside her whole set of characters.

In between treks in their backyard wilderness, you can find them hanging out at www.sylvieparizeau.com

Amazon readers had a hard time putting this series down… you will to. Now you don’t have to wait – the full story is yours for a discounted price.

This boxed set includes all three full-length novels from Starkey’s beloved Soul Keeper Series. That’s over 800 pages of intense twists and emotional turns, heart-breaking romance and soul-shattering deception – all in one series.

In a battle of wills,
of the gods of old.
For each his revenge,
will he forfeit his soul.

On the chessboard of blood,
will their narrative play.
Aged, innocent lives,
revenge claims her way.

Out of hate will come love,
and love will come hate.
For immortal and man,
have entwined their damned fate.

The battle between the Titans and the gods of old did not end with them. The demand for revenge has dripped down into the next generation.

Twins, Marcus and Nicolas, heirs to the throne of the gods and sons of the last remaining Titan, learn that the purpose of their existence is to fulfill a prophecy born of hate and despair. They must battle for Pandora’s daughter’s heart, a girl lost to the human world and unaware of her hidden heritage. For four hundred years Marcus and Nicolas have only been allowed to touch the edge of their soul mate’s dreams, but the time of the prophecy has come.

For Samantha, life has been nothing more than a series of misfortunes and heartbreaks. For years, she has kept her heart locked away, but change is rolling in like a tidal wave. She is now forced to discern the thin line between love and lie, myth and reality, and it would seem that time is running out …

There was no moving in this moment. Her body afforded her no such luxury, as swirling white mist covered the soft green grass, giving the world an ethereal appearance. Crimson danced against the golden sky as the evening moved in quickly, hoping to make way for its dark lover.

Sam gazed around her, trying to make sense of the familiarity she felt with her setting, but she failed to hold onto the fleeting memory. The soft crunch of grass moving changed everything as realization dawned—she was no longer alone.

Her dark sapphire eyes narrowed, brow creasing as a figure cut through the dense, chalky air. He towered over her by a head or two, and judging by the large expanse of his shoulders, he often left the gym stained in his scent. As his shape continued to gain clarity, from color and size to the defined lines of a life well lived, the swell of anticipation grew within her at the story his facial features might tell.

As he drew close enough for focus, her jaw slackened and her eyes widened with wonder. He was for all intents and purposes a teenager, and yet by his exotic appearance, she guessed him to be a foreigner. Wherever he was from, he was simply beautiful.

He stopped just before her, his gaze locked on hers, and try though she may words escaped her cry for assistance. His piercing jade eyes bore into her, dark orange rays stretching lazily from the iris, his skin seeming to glitter as if kissed by the sun.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“For me?” Sam blinked in surprise, taking a hesitant step back.

“Ah, Samantha,” he breathed out, his brow creasing ever so slightly. “Same questions every time, my love. Shall I give you the same answers?”

“W-what a-answers?” She shook her head, attempting to draw in a breath that wasn’t filled with the smell of pure male.

There would be no relaxing in front of him for something was so very familiar and yet alarming to all of her protective senses. Brick by brick, her heart constructed a thick wall that would promise protection. He took a step forward and reached for her hand, but was a bit too late to infiltrate her senses as the wall was up and impenetrable.

She exhaled softly as their skin connected and instinctively let her fingers wrap around his as a sign of friendship. The warmth of his touch sent tingles racing along the corridors of her body and yet still the cold loneliness remained because she demanded it so. No one would ever penetrate her defenses again. Self-preservation had become her lifelong companion simply because life required such company.

Author Bio:

L.A. Starkey is the author of the Soul Keeper Series, a supernatural young adult series, and The Liarus Detective Series, a supernatural middle grade series.

She is a fulltime writer, and loves spending time with her family and reading a good book. With more ideas than one person should be allowed, she is blessed to have a muse that doesn't seem to take a vacation and more energy that one might consider healthy.

She writes under the following pen name:
Kate Thomas - NA/Adult Paranormal (http://amzn.to/1SKV9ey)

Check out the excerpt below and
be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

Rowan Winters is completely in love. With a shifter dragon.

But the drop-dead gorgeous Skye only thinks of Rowan as her best friend. But when she turns up in his room in the middle of the night in tears, he yearns to do whatever he can to help her. Even if that means running away and letting his family think he’s dead.

Skye’s entire world turns upside down the day her scales turns black. She knows she’ll have to flee to find answers. But she wasn’t planning on Rowan coming too. She just wanted to say goodbye. He is so eager to help that she can’t leave him behind even though she knows she’ll never be able to love him in return.

Together, they fight off murderous dragons and uncover sinister plans. But can they find the answers Skye so desperately seeks? And can Rowan sacrifice everything he knows to win her heart?

Skye was a coward. She knew that, but she couldn’t bring herself to stay and watch Sid and Aspen commit suicide. There was no way the council would allow Aspen to become queen.
Not to mention that then Skye would have to know the exact moment when she died, because anyone who pledged loyalty to Sid would die the second he did. No, running away was better. She should have enough time to get to her parents before death came. She’d able to say goodbye.
This was her fault. Pearl had told her to keep Aspen safe. Instead she’d gone and made everything worse. Maybe if she’d kept Aspen at home, Sid would’ve been fine.
If she’d never given Sid that damn loyalty seal, she wouldn’t be this close to death. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking at that time. Part of her thought he’d make it. Another part didn’t care whether she lived or died. It wasn’t like she’d have much of a life anymore.
When Sid became King she found Everett and begged him to remove the seal that marked how much she loved him. He did and now she longer had a swirl of gold on her ankle. But Everett warned her there would be a price to pay. She gladly paid it at the time, but but she hadn’t expected to feel so empty.
For a half second she thought about heading to Everett’s instead of her parents. Maybe he could remove the loyalty seal before she died. She shook her head. How cowardly of her. The price would not be worth it. That was for sure.
She was only fooling herself though. She would make the same decision if given the choice. Aspen was the only way they could possibly survive. When Skye dropped Aspen off , there were three possible outcomes. One, she and Sid would die and all those with loyalty seals would as well. Two, Helios, the final dragon that Sid needed to secure all the loyalty seals got to him before the council had a chance to killed him. Or three. Aspen could be become queen. She’d have to convince the council that she should be queen and pass the queen’s tests She hoped Aspen could do it.
She felt her wings tiring. This could be the beginning of her death. She hadn’t known anyone who had died because of the loyalty seal and didn’t know how it worked. She spotted a lake below her and decided to stop and get a drink. She had to make it home.
Skye landed a little rougher than normal. This had to be the end. She staggered over to the water and took a deep drink. The water sparkled under the full moon. Skye stretched her wings out and swiveled her neck around to scratch her nose. She froze. Her wing was no longer silver.
This must be part of her death. Or at least that was what she tried to convince herself of. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she no longer felt tired. Dragons didn’t change color before they died. In fact dragons never changed color. Except when they became king. Then they turned black.
Skye spun neck around the other direction. It was more than her wings that had changed. Her whole body was now a deep coal black.
This was impossible. There was no way she could become king. Sid was king. Unless he died. Then someone else would take his place, but that someone had to be a full royal dragon and male. Of which she was neither. There had to be some huge mistake. This had to be a dream. She stuck her head in the cold water and came out again. Still black. This wasn’t possible.
Unless.
That stupid prophecy.
The one that said three kings would rise. The one that said they could come from other races. But she was still female. Something was definitely wrong. She was also still very much alive. She couldn’t go see her parents now, not like this. No, she had to go see the one dragon who could explain how this happened.
She wracked her brain trying to think of everything she’d learned about the prophecy. She loved history and so she studied a lot, but this baffled her. Nothing in the prophecy said anything about a girl. She’d spent hours listening to Everett’s boring details about the prophecy, yet he hadn’t mentioned that females could become kings. He was so in for it.
Chapter 2
Skye changed direction and instead of heading south for the warm waters of the gulf, she flew northwest. Her mind tried to make sense of what just happened. Her anger for Everett had turned into fear of what was to come. Everett would have the answers. But she might not like the answers he gave.
She certainly didn’t like the consequences of his last answer. To never love again. That was the cost of removing the seal to Sid. She gladly gave it up. But now. Now something was missing and she ached to love again.
After an hour she flew over Yellowstone and marveled at the fact that she wasn’t dead. That meant Sid and Aspen were still alive as well. Perhaps Aspen had become queen. Skye hoped so. She liked her. Plus, if the prophecy was fulfilled, Sid would be the right leader for the job.
She flew over Sid’s house and faltered for a second. Rowan was asleep in there. Sweet Rowan. He’d become her best friend. Her heart tightened at the thought of never seeing him again. It was strange how the ache she often felt disappeared when she was around him. He made her feel human.
She didn’t know what would happen when she found Everett. But if she was a king and the prophecy was being fulfilled, she’d be too caught up in the dragon wars to even think about her human friends. She supposed it couldn’t hurt to stop and say goodbye. She owed him that. After all, he’d been there for her when no one else had been.
She dove for the house before she talked herself out of it. She wanted to feel human again, if only for a minute.

Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. Currently, she lives in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and two kids.

She is a high school math teacher by day (please don’t hold that against her) and YA author by night. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. Kissed is her first novel.

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